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1/16/15: New York Islanders 6 Pittsburgh Penguins 3

Pittsburgh ContributionsD. Perron – steps in front of Strome skating through the defensive zone with the puck and forces Strome to try to stick-handle around him, which causes him to lose control of the puckE. Malkin – picks up the loose puck in the defensive zone, skates it up the left-side boards into the Islanders zone, then makes a pass across the ice that gets to Kunitz just above the right faceoff circleC. Kunitz – turns to give himself a shooting angle as he glides to the right faceoff dot and then puts a low shot on net that hits Halak’s pads and rebounds towards the slotS. Crosby – has Kunitz’s rebound go off of his body and into the net as he’s crashing the net

NY Islanders FaultsM. Grabner – in the penalty box for trippingR. Strome – loses control of the puck when he’s trying to stick-handle in the Penguins zone, sending an odd-man break the other way

2nd Penguins Goal (Perron), Powerplay

Pittsburgh ContributionsS. Crosby – intercepts Boychuk’s attempt to play the puck up the right-side boards in the Islanders zone, then passes the puck back to Letang at the right pointK. Letang – moves to the middle of the blue line and then slides the puck over to Perron, who is a couple of feet above the left faceoff circleD. Perron – one-times Letang’s pass past Halak’s glove

NY Islanders FaultsC. Clutterbuck – in the penalty box for high-stickingJ. Boychuk – plays the puck directly to Crosby along the right-side boardsT. Hickey – screens Halak so he doesn’t see Perron’s shot til it’s only a few feet away

NY Islanders ContributionsT. Hamonic – retrieves a puck deep in the Islanders zone and passes it all the way up to Bailey just outside of the Penguins blue line along the left-side boardsJ. Bailey – takes a step back away from Kunitz and passes the puck to Tavares coming through the middle of the neutral zoneJ. Tavares – enters the left side of the Penguins zone 1-on-1 against Despres, moves the puck to the outside to draw a poke check from Despres, pulls the puck to the inside as Despres gets caught to the outside and loses him, takes the puck towards the net, pulls it to the outside to pull Fleury to his post, then makes a pass to the top of the crease for OkposoK. Okposo – has the puck go off of his right skate as he’s stopping and slide into the net

Pittsburgh FaultsS. Despres – gets beat badly 1-on-1 against Tavares and loses coverage of him going to the net, forcing Ehrhoff into a 2-on-1 situation

2nd Islanders Goal (Strome), Even

NY Islanders ContributionsF. Nielsen – gets to a loose puck along the left-side boards in the Penguins zone and pushes it back to the left point as he takes a hit from Despres while playing the puckA. Lee – steps into a one-timer from the left point that hits Sutter in the leg, then goes off of Downie’s stick, and lands on the stick of Strome right next to the netR. Strome – turns towards the middle with the puck, loses it on a poke check, but gets it back when the puck goes off of Lee and back to his stick, then gets to the middle of the slot and slides the puck past Fleury’s right pad

Pittsburgh FaultsS. Despres – doesn’t even attempt to reach for the puck when racing Nielsen to it and instead throws a hit on Nielsen, who still proceeds to pass the puck while absorbing the hit

3rd Penguins Goal (Crosby), Even

Pittsburgh ContributionsK. Letang – gets the puck in the left corner of the Islanders zone after Perron’s shot went wide, holds it for a few seconds, then passes it down to Perron, who skated behind the net after his shot (cont.), gets the puck from Malkin at the top of the zone, looks to the net, then passes the puck to Martin by himself at the left side of the creaseD. Perron – skates up the left-side boards and gets tripped, leaving the puck along the boardsE. Malkin – follows Perron and picks up the loose puck, skates it to the top of the left faceoff circle, then passes it to Letang at the top of the zoneP. Martin – redirects Letang’s pass across the crease to Crosby who is standing to the right of the creaseS. Crosby – takes the puck on his backhand, pulls it to his forehand, and lifts it over Halak before he can get across to Crosby’s side

NY Islanders FaultsF. Nielsen – gets caught circling the interior of the zone as he’s watching the puck and drifts too far away from the crease, leaving Martin and Crosby alone for de Haan to defend

3rd Islanders Goal (Okposo), Even

NY Islanders ContributionsT. Hickey – pinches down the left-side boards in the Penguins zone to get a puck that Okposo shot wide, then sends it back to Bailey at the left pointJ. Bailey – puts a low, bouncing shot on net that hits Fleury’s right pad and comes off for a reboundK. Okposo – beats Harrington to the loose puck to the left of the crease and lifts it over Fleury’s right arm as he’s reaching for the puck as well

Pittsburgh FaultsS. Harrington – gets caught flat-footed, can’t get to the rebound before Okposo, and can’t disrupt Okposo from lifting the puck into the net eitherM. Fleury – gives up a weak rebound off of Bailey’s slightly bouncing shot, then hesitates and reaches his right arm out towards the puck as Okposo is getting to it, which leaves room for Okposo to lift the puck over Fleury’s right arm

4th Islanders Goal (Okposo), Even

NY Islanders ContributionsT. Hamonic – intercepts Perron’s pass to Letang in front of the Islanders crease and starts the Islanders on a breakout by passing the puck to Bailey exiting the left side of the zoneJ. Bailey – skates up the left-side boards through the neutral zone, enters the left side of the Penguins zone, skates to the top of the left faceoff circle, then passes the puck across the high slot to Okposo entering the slotJ. Tavares – skates deeper into the slot in front of Okposo, which forces Letang to back up and gives Okposo roomK. Okposo – carries the puck into the slot and snipes a wrist shot past Fleury’s blockerPlayer –

Pittsburgh FaultsD. Perron – stares down Letang the entire time he has the puck in the offensive zone, then tries to make a pass to him which is easily intercepted by Hamonic to send the Islanders the other way (cont.), then chases down Bailey even though Martin is stepping towards him, doesn’t cut back to his guy (Okposo), and misses the pass by his stick from Bailey to OkposoS. Crosby – was hanging back at the blue line since Letang pinched into the offensive zone, but then skated forward to attack Hamonic, giving the Isles an odd-man rush moving up iceC. Kunitz – watches the entire play developing and Perron going to Bailey, but continues to glide back into the zone instead of taking a stride or two to try to cover Okposo to make up for it

5th Islanders Goal (Okposo), Powerplay

NY Islanders ContributionsJ. Tavares – wins the faceoff in the left circle in the Penguins zone back to Boychuk at the left point (cont.), gets the puck after it hits Nelson’s leg and puts a quick shot on Fleury that bounces into the airJ. Boychuk – fakes a shot and passes the puck to the right point for Nielsen (cont.), one-times Nielsen’s pass to the netF. Nielsen – holds the puck and sends it back to Boychuk at the left pointB. Nelson – gets hit with Boychuk’s one-timer at the top of the crease, which sends the puck bouncing to the bottom inside corner of the left faceoff circleK. Okposo – bats the rebound into the net before Fleury has a chance to glove it

Pittsburgh FaultsS. Downie – in the penalty box for slashing

6th Islanders Goal (Grabner), Even

NY Islanders ContributionsM. Grabner – deflects Malkin’s pass past Letang, then gets the puck in the neutral zone and fires it into the empty net

Pittsburgh FaultsE. Malkin – tries to make a pass from the left faceoff circle in the Isles zone to Letang in the high slot, but Grabner deflects it away and gets the puck